Yesterday, September 19th, 2019 was "International Talk Like a Pirate Day".

Nope, I'm not kidding. It's a legitimate international holiday which had its start only 20 minutes south of our little congregation in Albany, Oregon.

Two friends, Jack Baur and Marc Summers conceived of the holiday after one of them was injured during a racquetball game at the Albany YMCA and exclaimed, "Aarrrrrr" as he stretched in a direction he wasn't supposed to stretch. Both of them began laughing uncontrollably, and one thing led to another. Soon they were taunting one another as they played with shouts of, "Yarrr... I'm going to fire this one broadside into your yardarm", and encouraged one another with, "Aarrrr... that was a fine cannonade".

After the game was over and they realized how much fun they had, they concluded that the world needed Talk Like a Pirate Day. The date of the game was June 6th, 1995, and out of respect for the Normandy landings, they instead chose Marc's ex-wife's birthday since it was the only day he could think of that wasn't already taken by something else.

For a number of years, Marc, Jack and their friend David kept it in and around Albany, until a few years later when they happened across syndicated humor columnist Dave Barry's email address, and decided to send him an email which detailed the idea. He loved it so much he crafted an entire column around it, "Talk Like a Pirate or Prepare to Be Boarded", which ran in the Miami Herald on September 8th, 2002 and ultimately in every paper where Dave Barry is syndicated.

The holiday took off, and went international that year. Marc and Jack did interviews on Irish radio, in Australia, right here in Oregon, and around the country. It took off because it was silly and made people laugh.

A year earlier, the twin towers fell in a coordinated terrorist attack. The United States had experienced a economic downturn, with shaky markets, and uncertainty. People desired to laugh, to have some fun. Marc and Jack tapped into a collective desire to enjoy life. This was something anyone could do - would result in a few laughs and lighten the mood, helping to brighten people's day. 

It helped spread some joy.

An internal sense of happiness and contentedness, joy is something that is unfortunately in short supply these days. Many people experience a deep hole in their lives that they cannot seem to fill, and as people turn to substances, risky behaviors, and other vices in order to attempt to fill that hole, they often find they are no closer to satisfied than they were when they started.

While simple - things like International Talk Like a Pirate Day can bring a laugh, and lift a mood.

Proverbs 17:22 states that 'a merry heart does good, like medicine'. Science has shown that laughter improves our immune response, releases endorphins and lowers stress response, increases psychological resilience, helps to combat depression, and has been demonstrably shown to relieve pain in trials.  

Verse 22 continues by saying that "a broken spirit dries the bones." We've all met people who are like this. Who are not happy, there is no joy in their life, and you know it - because they tell you. There is no laughter, unless it is at others misfortune or decisions, and there is almost an outright refusal to be happy, or to allow joy to enter their life.

God desires that we live an abundant life. In John 10:10, Christ stated, "I have come that they may have life, and have it more abundantly." He contrasts that with the thief, who comes to "steal, kill and destroy." God desires that we live an abundant life--one with happiness and joy, a life of satisfaction and contentedness. 

So tell a joke, eat the cake, stay up late talking around the campfire, go fishing, bake a friend a pie and deliver it, go for a walk on the beach at sunset, write a letter, get a dog, hop in the hammock some Sunday afternoon, read a good book, have a spa day, jump out of an airplane, ride in an airplane to someplace nice, give a gift, call an old friend, talk like a pirate...

Laugh a little, and enjoy this beautiful gift we have been given. Thank God every day for it, and realize He desires for us to live it to the fullest, and to His glory!

Happy Sabbath!